Maid Diaries
by Twelf Bell
Summary: AU x-over; Set in a world of lords with mansions, horses, and maids. Fuu is a maid of Lord Doumeki and she tells us about the staying-over of his rivaling neighbor Lord Watanuki. DouWata & a bit of KuroFai. Rating may change.
1. x February 10 x

**Disclaimer:** I do not own xxxHOLiC, Watanuki or Doumeki. But I own this AU, Fuu and my (perverted?! Dx) imagination.

* * *

**February 10th.**

_Today, our neighboring town to the west's Lord Watanuki came to the mansion! He is so handsome, with his dark midnight hair and ocean blue eyes behind his wire-rimmed glasses... Ahh.. if only I were not a maid... Oh, but that doesn't mean I don't cherish my work as a maid! I'm very grateful for Lord Doumeki for taking me in when I couldn't find work everywhere else in town. He is handsome himself but if I were to really say, Lord Watanuki is... um, pardon me, very 'beautiful'. God, I'm very sorry for using a lady word to describe him but... There's no other word out there! Ah, but 'pretty' works well too! Heehee._

_It was very early in the morning when he came over. He announced with a frown that he was going to stay here in the mansion for a year because his father had ordered him to. I feel very bad for Lord Watanuki and for Lord Doumeki. You see, they are both rivals. Rivals for what, you ask? Well, it's hard to say what it is. It's rumored that they are fighting for the love of Princess Himawari. But there are also rumors that she already has a fiance. There's also a rumor that they are both fighting for the land that Lady Yuuko of the neighboring town to the east is giving away. So... it's hard to say. I might ask Lord Doumeki later._

_I kinda hope it's for the land. If Lord Doumeki were to marry Princess Himawari, I don't think I can stand for it. Oh, I don't love him or anything! Well, I _do_ like him but not in that way. If he were to marry Princess Himawari, I don't think I would be able to manage well myself. He probably will dismiss me along with the other maids and servants of the mansion. We'll all have to go separated ways and I don't want that. And if he wants me to come with him to the castle... I don't think I would fit in well with the other maids._

_For one thing, my hair. It's an unnatural color! It's orange! I haven't seen a single other red-head around yet. I'm thinking that's probably why I never got a decent job... Well anyway, that's that. And another reason is my age. I'm fourteen and everyone is all older than me. Not that they would really care about age, hm? - As long as I've got skill. I _do_ have skill, mind you, and that's one thing I won't forgive those dumb men who rejected having me as a maid for._

_But all is well now. Mother and Father in Heaven, please bless me with a good night's sleep as always._

_Goodnight._

_With love,  
Fuu_

_P.S. I wonder what will happen tomorrow?_


	2. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own xxxHOLiC or Tsubasa Chronicles or the characters of them. But I do own the few OCs of this fic and this AU (=v=)

**Note1:** I had not intended to include TrC characters and created this story as a regular fic but now it's a Crossover. Hope you don't mind ^-^;

**Note2:**The main story is gonna be starting in the next chapter (see the chapter title name _Prologue_?). This chapter is just to introduce you to this AU world and everything else. There are some important characters in this chapter that you may need to know since they're important in a way (for example, their job). If you don't read this chapter, that's okay, but I'm not gonna be introducing them again in the next chapter.

**Note3:** Lol new pairing included! It's KuroFai :3 **~SEi**

**- - - - - - - - - - - - Prologue.**

Mornings always started very early for a maid. Fuu woke up to the chirps of the very-early-morning birds and sitting up on her bed, she stretched her arms and got out of bed. She went over to her small wooden wardrobe and stared intently at her clothes. _Which one should I wear today? The maid outfit, the maid outfit or the maid outfit?_ She went through them one by one, deciding which one to wear (even though they were all the same). There were 30 of them and on the 11th one, she stopped to look at it. She smiled and took it off its hanger. _This one._

Be it by coincidence, instinct, or by inevitability, Fuu always seemed to choose the one that matched what day it was. Today was February 11th. Three more days until the Festival of Love in which the town celebrated every year on the 14th. She put it on, tied up her hair with a black ribbon and looked at her reflection in the small mirror that hung on the wall of her room. She smiled and the girl in the mirror smiled back at her. She went over to the only window in her room and pushed it open all the way. The birds on the tree in front of her window greeted her with a morning song. She said to them: "Yes, good morning to you too."

She looked up at the sky. It was still dark but she could see a little golden spot trying to peek out over the horizon. She said to the birds, "I'll come out and feed you later, okay?" The birds chirped in reply, or rather, she thought it was. She never really had gotten to understand bird speech and she didn't think she wanted to. However, since the beginning of her maid days, they were her first friends before the other maids and servants began talking and getting to know her. It was rude for a friend to give up her first friends, so every day Fuu greeted them and gave them bits of her meals.

Half of the first floor was for the many occupants that worked for Lord Doumeki. They each had their own rooms - most sharing - and four bathrooms. Two for the men and two for the ladies. Two, because the bath room was separate from the lavatory. It was the lavatory that Fuu headed for first. The lavatory had a row of stalls since there were many women (and men), and in front of the stalls were a row of sinks. When she went in, she saw Kohane, who was four years older and Lord Watanuki's own maid who had come with him. Kohane had had her own room to stay in since there was no more room for her in a room that was large enough for two people to occupy. Fuu's own room was small and she was quite happy with it.

"Good morning," Fuu said politely.

Kohane smiled. "Good morning, Fuu-chan."

_She remembered my name!_ Fuu blushed. Most of the others either could not remember her name since she was not important or because they didn't want to. Fuu bowed slightly and went over beside Kohane, of whom was fixing her hair in front of the sink. Fuu couldn't help but stare at Kohane. She was really pretty, with long brown hair, large eyes _and_ she had a curve that any girl would envy! Fuu had immediately took to calling the maid Kohane-senpai the minute she stepped into the mansion the day before. Kohane was also really nice. Despite being the maid of the lord of a rivaling town, she had took to being a very well-mannered lady. Fuu felt envious of her but maybe that was just because that was the way Kohane had been brought up.

Fuu took away her ribbon in her hair and looked at herself in the large mirror that hung on the wall. She noticed that she had bed hair and immediately combed it down with her brush. Kohane giggled and Fuu couldn't help but smile. _This might be how it would be if I had an older sister..._ Fuu brushed her hair over and over again before putting it up again with her black ribbon. _All done_.

"Well, it's time to get ready for the day," said Kohane. Fuu nodded. Just as they headed for the door, the other maids started pouring in. Each one of them said 'good morning' to each other and went on with their morning business. Kohane and Fuu glanced at each other and giggled as they stepped out into the hallway and headed for the kitchen. Fuu used to be the only early riser and having Kohane being one too was a great thing to know. It was quite lonely in the morning, after all.

**x x x**

Since Fuu was the youngest maid of them all _and_ the one that came along very late, she didn't have much to do - the head maid had arranged everyone to do something separately; it was something like teams according to a room or a chore. Fuu wasn't assigned to a team since everyone seemed to be properly doing their work. She did, however, do whatever she was asked to do and she did them well, without any complaints.

Kohane was also not doing anything because she was not one of Lord Doumeki's maids. She stood by Fuu who was standing by the door, waiting for someone to tell her to do something. After a few minutes of not doing anything, she said to the older maid, "I'm going to check on Faye-san."

Faye was the cook of the mansion. He occupied a room near the kitchen with the head guard Kurogane and had the most hardest job of all, mainly because Lord Doumeki ate _a lot_. The lord didn't seem to gain any weight or fat though. He somehow managed to keep steady his well-built body. Probably because of practicing sword-fighting. With Kurogane, that is. And the cook.

"Good morning, Faye-san!"

The blond turned around from the pot he was stirring in and looked at his visitors. He gave a smile when he saw who it was. "Fuu-chan~"

Faye was the first person (aside from Lord Doumeki) who wanted to get to know her and such. He was always giving her snacks for the birds too. That being said, Faye had also cooked a huge dinner for Fuu when she arrived at the mansion half a year ago. The other maids were quite jealous of her since he had never done it for them when they arrived. He told them sweetly off with a "She's still young and growing" and a smile.

"And who is this?" He asked, giving a nod to the brunette.

"I am Lord Watanuki's maid, Kohane." She gave a curtsy.

Faye bowed in return. "Let's get acquainted, ne~? Since we're going to be together for a year~"

Kohane smiled and Faye grinned back. Fuu wondered then if there was something that sparked between them. She hoped not. During her first month working, she had accidentally came upon him and the head guard kissing by a tree. The pretty brunette gardener, Sakura, who had been working nearby with the vegetables had told her with a giggle: 'Don't mind them'. Fuu did so. She also, however, went on supporting them from the shadows. Despite being a fourteen year old, she couldn't help but think that they were meant to be together.

"Oi, is breakfast ready?" A tall dark-haired man with a frown on his face came into the kitchen.

"Not yet, not yet. I got a little preoccupied just now."

"Oh, I'm sorry Faye-san," Fuu apologized. "I forgot you were busy..."

The 24-year-old smiled and patted her head. "It's not your fault. It's great to meet new people too, you know." He then turned to Kurogane. "Meet Kohane-chan."

"… Uh, yeah. I'm Kurogane. The head guard," he said, with a nod-bow.

Kohane curtsied in reply. Fuu nudged her and whispered in her ear, "He's actually very nice, despite his scary appearance." Kohane looked at her since it seemed like Fuu wanted to say something else too. "And... keep this a secret, but Faye's Kurogane's so..." Kohane just smiled like she had already known it.

"Anyway, call me when breakfast is ready. I'm gonna be out sword-fighting with Syaoran." Syaoran was part of the guards group. He had a high rank though - and he was the captain of his own special team, since he had been specially trained by Kurogane before they were taken in by the past Lord Doumeki Haruka, whom had witnessed their skills when his traveling group had been attacked by bandits.

Faye, who had gone back to work, didn't turn around but waved a hand as an "OK". Kurogane left and Fuu and Kohane followed shortly after apologizing to Faye again.

**x x x**

"Oh. It's time."

Fuu looked at Kohane questioningly. She then looked at her own pocket watch and her eyes widened. "Oh! Glad you reminded me!" She told the other maid that she'll see her later and bowed slightly before running off down the hall and slowing her pace when she got to the stairs in which she climbed very quickly.

The entire second floor was the lair of the lord. There were six rooms in all, one in the south side, two in the west side and three in the east side. The north side was where the stairs were. The toiletry and such were on the east side. The lord's office and library was on the west side. Fuu walked down the eastern hallway, glancing out the large windows to see if she was going to be on time or not, and then turned the corner. She continued down the hallway until she saw the only room's door of the south side. She paused before knocking. "Please excuse me," she whispered, before turning the knob and entering.

She quietly strode across the floor and to the second largest window of the room which was opposite the large bed a sleeping young man was still resting in. She pulled aside the curtains, letting the first rays of the sun enter the room.

"Ngh..."

Fuu sighed. She went over to the bed and tapped Lord Doumeki's forehead softly. "It's time to wake up, Lord Doumeki."

His eyes opened so swiftly, Fuu couldn't help but jump back a little and watch as he sat up and yawned. He looked her way but it didn't seem to Fuu that he was actually _looking_ at her. Right _through_ her was more like it. That meant he was still asleep. In a way.

This happened a lot when she was on duty to wake the lord up. She wondered if the other maids had this problem too, as she went to the end of the bed and pulled the covers aside. "If you're not going to wake up, then I'm going to feed your breakfast to the birds!" she said loudly.

To the other maids, it would seem rude to yell or threaten or well... do anything that may get you punished since they were of nobility and had the power to, but as for Fuu's case... Lord Doumeki was more like an older brother than a lord to her. He had, you see, treated her like a little sister too, albeit she was to be assigned as a maid. How he had picked her up is another story of which is totally taking you away from the story at present.

"... I'm awake."

Fuu shook her head but smiled. Anything related to food was this guy's weakness. Too bad she couldn't cook though. If she had, she would have been able to survive out there on the streets...

Lord Doumeki blinked a few times before shifting his position and slipping his feet into the dark blue slippers that were placed neatly beside his bed. As he shuffled his feet over and over to get his feet properly placed inside its warmth, Fuu went over to the coat rack by the window and took down the matching long silk robe. When she turned around, she found the lord already walking towards the door.

"W-Wait!" She briskly walked over to his waiting figure and slipped the robe through his arms and resting it on his relaxed shoulders. Since he had said that he didn't like it buttoned, she stepped back and as he walked away, she said, "Hurry up and come to the dining room before I really do feed your breakfast to the birds, okay?"

The lord yawned loudly when he reached the doorway. He then turned right and just before he disappeared from view, Fuu had noticed a smirk on the lord's face. It was during these short but pleasant times that she felt that she belonged to this large 'family'.

Everything seemed perfect. But nothing's perfect. And nothing lasts forever.

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**A/N:** Geh. I started speaking in the story again =__=; Oh well. But seriously, it _is_ another story. Just wait on it, thanks.

This wasn't really a quick update since I had actually started and almost completed this chapter yesterday... HOWEVER, I ran out of time before I could finish up and post it along with the first diary entry.

Anyhow, hope you enjoyed the prologue! Even though it was long... U_U; **~SEi**


	3. Beauty of the Heart

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. I don't even own the manga for CLAMP's sake! I'm too poor to afford such awesomeness... Oh wait. My OCs are mine though. No touchie.

**A/N:** Hm. Well this is the start of the real story I guess. Hope you enjoy... && I'm guessing no one read the previous chapter yet? Or is it because I changed it to an X-Over that I lost readers?! Dx Oh well. I'm just going to continue this for my own desires (=3=;) … **_~SEi_**

**- - - - - - - - - - - - Ch1. Beauty of the Heart**

Everyone was silent during breakfast. The only noises that echoed in the large dining hall was of metal scraping against glass, the occasional "Please pass the..." , shuffling of feet and the sound of cups being filled with liquid. Despite Kohane's warning that Watanuki had a habit of ranting, the blue-eyed man was quiet. He was properly mannered, Fuu could see that, but she kinda did want to see him blowing his mind off and getting mad.

Fuu looked over at Kohane who stood behind her lord's chair from where she stood behind Doumeki's chair. Since the lords were opposite each other on the very long table, it was kinda hard to see any expression clearly on Watanuki's face nor the calm but confused look on Kohane's own. The brunette caught Fuu staring at her and she shrugged. Fuu sighed. Doumeki heard it and stopped eating his eggs to look at her.

The silence was then broken.

"What's wrong?" He was whispering.

"Nothing," she whispered back. "I just wished you saved some for the birds."

He smirked and poked the last bit of his meal with his fork. "Too bad," he said. And the plate of bacon, eggs and ham was then all cleared.

Fuu frowned but teased him, knowing that he would still ask Faye to continue feeding the birds as always. "You're going to get very fat if you keep eating, you know. The poor little birdies outside don't have much to eat since a special _someone_ is afraid of worms."

"Why don't you tell Sakura that then? To stop throwing the worms out in the trash and to give them to the birds."

"No! She gets all jumpy just hearing the word 'worm'! If you speak to her, she'll probably listen."

"I'm too busy to talk to her about such a silly thing."

"No you're not busy! You sleep when there's work to be done and you..." The whispering continued on but gradually got a little louder.

Across the table, Watanuki had stopped eating. He was frowning at the scene in front of him. Well, the scene far across the table, that is. _A maid is talking freely with a lord? _He glanced at the other maids and butlers that lined up the wall. They were all looking down at the floor and Watanuki knew that they were quite displeased with the way Fuu was acting. _How interesting._

"Watanuki-sama?"

He turned his head. "Hm?"

Her concerned eyes told him that she had noticed that he wasn't eating. "Oh..." He put his fork and knife down on the sides of his plate. "I'm not very hungry anymore..."

She nodded at him and then at a maid that stood by the wall. The maid came forth and took away Watanuki's breakfast dishes. As he dabbed his mouth with a napkin, he remembered something. "Wait!" He called the maid back.

Doumeki and Fuu stopped their chattering and looked up to see what was wrong. Watanuki was whispering something to the maid and she was nodding in understanding. She then began walking towards them with the dishes. When she was close, she stopped and bowed slightly, giving the dishes in her hands to Fuu. "Watanuki-sama said, 'For the birds'."

The lord and his young maid looked over at the other lord across the table. Fuu couldn't help but blush because Watanuki had overheard them talking about such a trivial matter, and about _birds_ at that. Watanuki smiled and then stood up from his seat. Clearing his throat once, he announced in a loud voice, "There is something _very_ _important_ that I need to discuss with you about, so I hope we can speak privately later, Doumeki-_san_."

It was normal for two lords of the same rank to call the other using the -san honorific but hearing it in the mansion where everyone was used to -sama this, -sama that, everyone in the room couldn't help but look up.

Doumeki smirked and said, "Very well."

**x x x**

"Come in."

Despite his earlier request when he was feeling calm, Watanuki was beginning to feel nervous for some reason. Warily, Watanuki stepped inside the office. Doumeki followed, closing the door behind him.

"Take a seat." Doumeki said, seated himself on the couch that sat in the middle of the room.

Before Watanuki could say anything, the other lord gestured to the chaise lounge chair opposite him, of which a low wooden coffee table stood between them. As Watanuki tried to look for a comfortable sitting position on the one-armed chair, Doumeki took the time to pour some tea into the two glass teacups that sat on the red-laced tablecloth upon two round plates with triangle-folded napkins tucked under them. Beside them was a glass bowl of freshly-made cream puffs.

Watanuki waited patiently until Doumeki finally lifted the teapot from its tilting position and set it down on the table. He began, "It's about the--" He stopped suddenly. Doumeki was tapping his hands on his knees and nodding towards the chaise.

The bespectacled lord, somehow understanding what the other wanted him to do, asked with a tinge of pink on his cheeks: "Do I have to?"

Doumeki just smiled (an evil grin) and replied, "That's what chaises are for, no?"

So, reluctantly, Watanuki shifted his position on the chair, leaned back on the soft back and put his feet up. He knew the other lord was mocking him... or was he? Trying to hide his furious blush, he looked at the door while starting again, "I-I wanted to speak to you about the rumors."

"Which rumor?"

Watanuki almost turned around to look at Doumeki, who was smirking. It was more polite to look the person in the eye while speaking, anyway. However, since he was too embarrassed to, he kept steady his gaze on the closed wooden door. "The one about you as a suitor for Himawari-hime."

"Hn," was the other man's reply.

"So I was wondering: is it true?" continued Watanuki, still staring at the door. "Is it true that you want to marry her so that you can be king?"

Silence.

Watanuki turned to see why: Doumeki was sipping his tea. When Doumeki set it down quietly on its plate, he sighed and leaned back on the couch. He wasn't saying anything and his eyes were closed.

"... Doumeki-san?"

The lord of the north opened his eyes and met Watanuki's blue eyes. "You can drop the honorific."

"Eh?"

"There's no point in calling me _-san_ when I don't want to myself, _Watanuki_."

As if mocked, Watanuki frowned and looked at his feet which were still propped up on the chair. He felt a bit small and childish right then. "... So be it, then."

"... Anyway. That rumor." Doumeki took a cream puff from the bowl and put it in his mouth. He slowly chewed and then said, "It's entirely false."

The lord of the west blinked a few times before the information processed fully in his mind. He then turned, put his feet promptly on the floor and said, "_What?!_"

Doumeki stared at him. "What's so surprising about it?"

"B-B-But! _Everyone_ out there is longing to marry Himawari-hime!" He stated. "I-I just can't believe _you_ don't want to! I mean, _I_ hope to be her groom--"

"Because you want to be king?" Doumeki interrupted.

"N-N-No! I mean, if that's what will become of us then that's fine but... Sh-She's the most beautiful woman on the entire planet!"

Doumeki was silent as he reached out for another cream puff. "Love should not be based on the person's beauty. Love should be based on the beauty of their _heart,_" he said quietly.

Watanuki couldn't help but blush. He stood up in a quick motion. "I-Idiot!" He protested, though he thought what Doumeki said was true. "If love were that way, then there wouldn't be so much couples out there with children and grandchildren and.. and... Anyway! Not everyone's heart is as good as you may think!" He stomped towards the door and left with a slam of the door.

"Oi oi, if that broke, you'd have to pay for it..." Doumeki muttered. He popped the puff into his mouth. _Not everyone's heart is as good as you may think!_ He chewed and swallowed. _That's true_, he thought. _There's always some kind of evil residing in people's hearts._

"Well, I hope the one I love has a good heart..." he said aloud to no one in particular. But then he thought about it and smirked. "Not really huh." He picked up his teacup and sipped his tea in the silence of his office.

**o o o**

Outside the door, Watanuki, like Doumeki just had, replayed the words the other had just spoken. _Love should not be based on the person's beauty. Love should be based on the beauty of their _heart. Watanuki frowned. _What is he? A poet?_ But the words made sense.

Watanuki thought about his love for Himawari. He had met her quite a few times when he had gone to the castle for an errand. They had also been childhood-playmates before the conflict between the west and the north arose. There was this other boy who had played with them but Watanuki couldn't quite remember who it was. All he remembered was the boy saying something like: _You're more beautiful than this flower, Watanuki._ He remembered blushing so badly and looking down at the flower in his hands and that was probably mainly the reason why he couldn't remember, he thought. Just remembering it made him blush again. _Geez, saying that to another guy? _Embarrassing indeed. But he remembered feeling a little happiness in his heart then. _What flower was it?_ he wondered.

Watanuki began walking down the hall but kept his thoughts flowing through his mind. His mind, however, went back to the love problem of his. Himawari had always been nice. She was also lonely a lot with no one her age to play with her in the castle and with a lot of nursemaids pampering and spoiling her. So during those times that all the lords went to the weekly conference with the king, the children would come along and play with the princess. Watanuki smiled. He remembered playing tag once and the princess had slipped and fallen, and when he concernedly went over to her to help her up, she had grinned, tagged him, and ran away. She had been 'it'.

_She's become so much more beautiful than she was cute..._ Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. Doumeki's words were getting to him. After all, Watanuki kept reminiscing more about her beauty than her personality. Well, her personality _was_ really friendly and all but... he wasn't sure anymore. He hadn't been to the castle ever since he had turned fifteen five years ago. That was the around the time in which the lord of the north, Doumeki Haruka, and the lord of the west, Clow Reed, couldn't take it anymore and almost declared war against each other. The matter of war was due to a _very_ trivial thing, like in Romeo and Juliet. Fortunately, the great king himself had told them to stop fighting and make up. But they couldn't make up because one couldn't forgive the other. So instead of war, they began avoiding each other. Until now.

_Grrr... I hate you so much Father for sending me here! I'm having the worst time of my life! That idiotic guy is so stoic and annoying... Argg... If only you were _not_ my father would I disobey you and run away...!_ He began stomping down the hall. _There's a limit to what you do, you know? Why don't _you_ come here yourself and stay for a year so that the conflict would be resolved since it's _your _fault in the first place and that way, the king won't have to suffer so much from the hate letters that the townspeople send to him about the other town! … Arg.. life is so unfair!_ He slammed a fist on the wall. "Ouch..."

And that was when he noticed where he was. Or not.

"Where am I?" he asked aloud. He didn't get an answer; no one was around since the only time the maids or butlers came on the second floor was to clean the hallways and rooms or to go up to the third floor – which was something like a half attic, half balcony. They had done their duties the other day and the lord didn't want them loitering around so much when he needed his privacy (which was most of the time), so no one was there. As he comforted his swollen fist, he looked around. He had turned a corner and... well, as he continued walking, he saw the only door present in the hallway. When he reached the door, he stood before it. He looked to the left and then to the right. _That's interesting... they're both the same distance _and _everything is the same on each side._ He scoffed_. This guy must be a symmetrical freak or something..._

Then he turned back to the door and noticed something. It was slightly open. He bit his lip. _I'll just have a little peek... _He looked around the hallway one last time before he pushed the door slightly. Light blinded him when he entered. It also smelled of roses.

Did curiosity kill the cat?

* * *

**A/N:** Lol I seriously am making a lot of the TrC and HOLiC characters do something weird :P And the characters are a bit OOC, did you notice? But well, it's an AU. And I feel more _free_ writing AUs so I guess that's probably why.

**~SEi**

P.S. _I know_ that they don't speak like that, but I don't really care. Think of it as modern-day translation.


	4. x February 11 x

**Disclaimer:** I do not own TrC or xxxHOLiC. CLAMP does. And I respect them for that.

**A/N:** I've got to thank my only two readers EchizenRyomaLover and xlirealx for reading this. It's boring right? Be honest. I know it's boring =__=; Sorry... (sigh) **~SEi  
P.S. **Sorry I'm late in updating. I got a little preoccupied with tests the entire week. This chapter is a bit lame because I rushed a bit. Sorry ~_~ Just trying to get on with the story, lol...

* * *

**February 11th.**

_I was cleaning Doumeki-sama's room when Watanuki-sama came in and he totally surprised me! Well actually, it was more like he 'snuck up on me'. I didn't hear the door open or close and my back was facing the door. It went something like this:_

"...Roses?"

"Uwah!" I jumped slightly and then turned around. "W-Watanuki-sama! What are you doing here?"

"Eh? Oh... uh... I got... l-lost?" He was not looking at me when he said that so I just knew that he was lying. Then he began giggling.

I blinked. "What's wrong?"

He covered his mouth to cease his laughter. "No, it's nothing. It's just that I feel like I've solved this difficult puzzle that's been bothering me since I was little."

I looked at him. He was giving a shy smile and his eyes looked faraway. But then he realized I was staring at him – that's what I assumed – and apologized. "S-Sorry, I'm interrupting your work, aren't I?"

"Oh, it's really no bother, Watanuki-sama. You can stay as long as you want. I know Doumeki-sama won't mind." I gave him a smile.

_The truth was, I wasn't really sure my lord would mind. I just said it in the spur of the moment. To my surprise, he obliged and walked around the room, observing everything as I continued cleaning. He asked a few questions here and there and kept apologizing all the while, saying that he was bothering me and should leave. But I enjoyed his company very much, I must admit, because Doumeki-sama's room always felt, well... lonely._

"What is this?"

I turned around from dusting the wooden bed frame and saw the thing in Watanuki-sama's hands. It was a wooden doll with long orange hair. I almost cried when I saw it. I watched as the lord turned it carefully around in his hands.

"'Fuu'?"

"Eh?"

He looked at me. "This.. is yours, right? It's carved in here, the name _Fuu. _If I remember correctly, your name is Fuu?"

"Yes. It is." I smiled, grateful to know that he remembered. "Ah. I mean, yes, my name is Fuu, and yes, that doll is mine..."

"It's beautiful..."

_That was the first time someone other than Doumeki-sama complimented on my doll. My father had made it for me before he and my mother died. My father had been a carpenter when he was alive and he loved to carve toys for me. The orange-haired wooden doll was actually part of a family. But the fire burned everything... both my family and my wooden family. Only I, and my wooden self, escaped._

_I had given Doumeki-sama my wooden doll as thanks for taking me in. It was quite embarrassing because he didn't seem the type to like dolls. But do you know what he said? He said, _"We should get you and this doll cleaned up." _I laughed then, and he just gave a smile. I had actually thought he would throw the doll out, but he had kept it next to his books on the bookcase by his bed. When I'm dusting the bookcase, I can't help but always stare at it and remind myself that I'm in debt to this man, this lord, for everything._

"What are you doing?"

I dropped my duster and Watanuki-sama dropped my wooden doll from surprise. Neither of us had heard the door open.

"D-Doumeki-sama, I-I'm sorry, I-I let him in without permission, please forgive me..." I bowed and kept my head down.

I heard his footsteps come closer and closer and stopping where Watanuki-sama was. I turned my head, curious of what was happening, and watched as Doumeki-sama picked up my wooden doll from the floor and pat it with his hands. He then looked at Watanuki-sama and smirked. "I didn't think you were interested in playing with _dolls_."

A blush crept upon Watanuki-sama's cheeks and I bit my lip to keep from giggling. The lord of the west stammered, "I-I-I don't play with dolls!" He folded his arms and looked away. "Th-This doll seemed interesting so I asked Fuu about it and then you came in and and and--"

Doumeki-sama interrupted him. "What were you doing in my room in the first place?"

"Th-That..." His ears burned red.

I decided to cover for him. "W-Watanuki-sama was lost and I assume he thought someone was in here so they could help him. And I was in here and allowed him in even though this is your.. room.."

_I was digging my own grave then. However, my entire explanation didn't seem to have gone through his ears because his reply was:_

"Why didn't you turn back around and ask me? I was still in my office."

"I-I--" Watanuki-sama turned his head and glared at my lord. "I was _curious_, alright? Isn't it okay for someone who's staying here for a while to explore the house so that they won't get lost anymore?!" With that, he stomped towards the open door and out he went.

I ran to the door and called to him, "Watanuki-sama! You should go this way (left) because if you keep going that way, you'll end up at Doumeki-sama's office again!"

He turned abruptly and stomped in the direction I pointed to. He mumbled 'Thank you' and something like 'What is with this place?' before he disappeared around the corner.

"Doumeki-sama, you shouldn't tease him like that," I said.

"But it's just so amusing..." I watched as he put the doll back on the top shelf of the bookcase. "He doesn't seem to remember that I used to tease him like this when we were little, though..."

"Eh?" I cocked my head to the side. "You knew Watanuki-sama when you were little?"

"Yeah." He turned to look at me with faraway eyes. "We were childhood playmates before my grandfather and his father began arguing and such." He looked down at the floor then and I had an irresistible urge to ask him what the rift was about but then I just said, "That's... nice."

"Huh?"

"I mean, you're still friends now, right? It's nice to still be friends after a long time _plus_ a rift between both families."

"That..." He looked away. "He doesn't seem to remember me at all, though."

_Just when I was thinking it was like the story of Romeo&Juliet, he had to say that! I now really want to put them back together. Yes, that's my goal for now. Until I see that this drama of my lords turns into something like the story of Romeo&Juliet, _then _will I be happy!_

_Now that's all for today, Mother and Father in heaven. I have to have a pleasant rest today or else I won't be able to do anything tomorrow. My plan starts henceforth!_

_**With love,**  
Fuu_


End file.
